


By Your Side

by Point_of_no_return



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Fluff, Feelings, Fluff, Light Angst, Past Violence, Post-Canon, Spoilers for Season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 04:57:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20465390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Point_of_no_return/pseuds/Point_of_no_return
Summary: Monét’s was closing soon and everyone of their friends had cleared out.  Gently, she started rubbing his shoulder in an effort to stir him.Takes place immediately after the whole gang gets together at Monét’s for Tyler’s photograph display.





	By Your Side

**Author's Note:**

> I know and have heard how much people in the 13RW fandom do not like Ani Achola, but there are a few of us who do and I personally feel like Ani is a good person and wants to be pillar of strength for Clay. I have followed this show since the beginning and I loved Hannah, Sheri, and now I really like Ani. So if there is a fan out there who doesn’t appreciate Ani, there is a back button. I don’t mean to ruffle any feathers.

She approached his side, sitting next to him as he was resting on his arm. He was sleeping..? If that’s what you could call it. Slumped over the side of the ‘comfy’ couch, face buried in the crook of his arm. She could tell he was tortured, even while he dreamt and felt compassion for him. Her need to keep from waking him was a nag. She wondered if reality might be worse than any dream he was having, but she couldn't stall to wake him any longer. Monét’s was closing soon and everyone of their friends had cleared out. Gently, she started rubbing his shoulder in an effort to stir him. 

“Hey….Clay, wake up sleepy head.” A kind smile. A few more comforting rubs to his back. “Clay, its time to go.”

He grumbled a little, listening to an angel. “Mm?” His voice in that deep and raspy tone he hadn’t let go of since the beginning of the investigation. 

He opened his eyes and looked around. Sitting up a little straighter, he leaned back and then into her side as she petted soothing circles on his back. _ God, I’m so fucking tired. Will this ever get better? _

He said with the small, sad smirk he had to the side, peering in her direction, “Hey Ani.”

She sighed in happy relief to hear his voice and leaned her head into his. “I know it’s been a long day, I’ll drive us back to your parents’ house and we can watch a movie or something.” Clay nodded against her, leaning into the touch. _ How could she know exactly how to make me feel at ease, _he thought, trying to shake away the contents of the nightmare he was having. 

“Yeah, lets go. Yeah, that’s a-a good idea” Clay was stretching out his legs and standing up as Ani fluidly stood with him, holding his shoulder. Ani slipped her hand into Clay’s and they started to walk out of the coffee shop. 

“Hey! Clay! Jessica and I are going to her dad’s, you can have the place to yourselves.” Justin wasn’t implying anything. Out of everyone at Liberty, Justin knew Clay was probably the most gentlemanly with a heart of gold character, possibly out of anyone he’s ever met. Ani or any girl would be in good hands with Clay. “Yeah, thanks Justin.” “Love you, brother.” “Yeah,” Clay smiled at him. “Yeah, love you too.”

Ani grinned, hearing them, enjoying their affection for one another. Clay waved at Jessica and she waved back. They’d come so far in the previous year and if the past several months hadn’t been completely draining, he would have enjoyed the thought a little more. Emotions weren’t easy to come by anymore nor a luxury to indulge. Clay supposed he had cried every tear possible within the past year out of mourning Hannah, Ani being with Bryce, knowledge of good friends being raped in different capacities...oh..and nearly being convicted of murder for someone he had wished dead since the moment he found out Bryce was a rapist. It was a constant drain and Clay was ready to move on, in whatever moving on would look like. 

Ani helped Clay into the car. Clay put his seatbelt on and slumped in the passenger seat. He tried his best to not look totally and utterly pathetic, so he leaned back, took a deep breath, and looked at Ani when she closed the door and started the car. “Thanks for driving.” 

“Oh it’s no trouble. I don’t mind.” “Thank you for everything today, Ani. I know I have been distant despite...you know...all of the dust settling. I—it means a lot knowing you’re here.” She placed her warm hand to his knee. “I’ve got you.” Her smile was fond. “Now, lets away to your parents’ house.”

They enjoyed the silence of the late Sunday afternoon on their drive to Clay’s.

Clay, the seemingly always brooding teen, finally had something to say. 

“There’s something Inwant to tell you. It’s been on my mind.” He took a breath. ”I know I gave you a hard time about being with Bryce and have had a lot of time to process everything.” He glances over to her as he says the next part. “It was never my business to know what you did, why did, how you did...anything with Bryce and I want to apologize for making you feel-well- however I made you feel when I approached you about it. It was a lot, I mean, I was…”

“Clay...”

“I’m sorry, Ani.”

“Clay, it’s fine. Thank you for apologizing.” She pulled up to the front of the house. “I forgave you a long time ago, not that you ever needed to apologize. I was in the wrong. I shouldn’t have elided that. I guess I thought I wanted to protect you. I knew you didn’t like him and I think I didn’t want you to think ill of me. It should never have happened. Me and Bryce.” She looked at Clay with understanding and apologetic eyes. “It really is me who should apologize to you, so I hope, in time, you can forgive me. I know Bryce hurt your friend..” _ My ‘friend.’ Hannah. Jesus. _

“Clay, I hope that we can eventually get to a place where we don’t have to talk about this anymore, but I’ll keep talking this over with you as long as you like.”

Clay closes his eyes and lets out an exhale. “No, I don’t really want that. I want to move on, but if it were to come up and I imagine it will sometime in the future, I’m glad to know you’re open to the subject.”

“Of course.”

“Okay, enough of the heavy. So you want to come in and watch a movie? Or listen to music?” 

She leaned back with a smile and an ease in her shoulders. 

“You know, you were curled up on the couch and it looked quite inviting. Do you mind if we just take a nap together? Just a quick one, I don’t want you to get any ideas, _ Percy _.” Clay smiles back at her.

“You got it, Astrid. I also have left over pizza if you’d like a slice.” 

“Oh, how romantic!” She said sarcastically. 

Clay opened his door and motioned around to her side, holding it open as he took her hand. “I’m really glad you finally came around to Percy.” She rolled her eyes and gave him a chaste kiss. 

They walked hand in hand up the walk, towards the building Justin and Clay shared. Justin was his brother, who saved him from shooting Bryce, from making the biggest and deadliest mistake of his life. And he was walking with a woman who moved heaven and hell to sabe him from rotting in a prison cell. He had many people to thank for that. How could he get so lucky?. It was nice for a change, to experience the feeling of being saved by someone. Multiple someones. Clay spent the better part of two years trying to fix, save, protect, and mend others. It was his turn to receive the soothing treatment and he was more than willing to accept it. Clay didn’t have the ability to deny his friends anymore. Just like Ani had him, his friends had him too. Clay could take the time process which he was doing well with a counselor, Dr. Bishop, at a nearby clinic. Clay had begun to show signs of progress and had mentioned to Alex it would be beneficial for him to get counseling as well. Alex was open to it and already had a few meetings with Dr. Bishop which made Clay smile that he was still being the Percy Ani knew him to be. 

Clay removed his jacket and shoes, turned the instrumental music on at a low volume, and payed down on his bed. Ani Todd her shoes off and payed next to Clay, his arm wrapped around her. Ani’s hand rested on Clay’s heart, hoping to protect it from all the evil in the world. Clay placed his hand delicately over hers and curled his fingers slightly around. He leaned in to kiss her on the head and then lay his own against her’s. She sighed at the touch and finally let her eyes flutter closed. 

“Thank you, again, for saving my life,” he whispered into her hair as if he couldn’t tell her enough. He would say it over and over as much as possible, probably til the end of time. She squeezed his hand just slightly and then drifted off to sleep pretty quickly having listened to the gentle purr of Clay’s heartbeat.

“_ Ani is nothing like Hannah.” He remembered thinking and saying out loud when we was interrogated. The words full of truth. _

Clay knew Hannah was his first love, never to have been explored, but perhaps Ani would be his savior he never had been to Hannah. Ani was different. She was confident, sure of herself, mature, communicative, and Clay didn’t have to worry about Ani. Not in the way he should have worried about Hannah. _ Oh, Hannah. _

Clay closed his eyes and let out a fully cleansing inhale and exhale, releasing thoughts of his deceased friend, the investigation, the events of the past year, and any negative thoughts about himself. 

For The first time in a long time, or if ever, Clay experienced a relaxing, transformative, and life-giving dream where he was in a meadow surrounded by flowers in bloom with Ani and he was reading a book while she was making dandelion necklaces. The sun was warm on their faces and he could hear birds chirping. 

Later, much later, when the sun had fully set and the night fell around them, Clay drove Ani back home. No regrets, no ill words, just peace in the stillness.

Clay and Ani turned to each other when he parked in front of Ms. Walker’s house. Clay smiles his perfect, sincere smile, and Ani could tell he had vanquished some serious demons within the past few hours. He seemed like a new man, stronger somehow. Though he already was a pillar of strength for everyone he knew. “Clay, you said once you didn’t consider yourself a man, but you should know that you are- a- a man. There isn’t a boy in this world who could face what you’ve been through and make it to the other side, that takes the gumption and strength of a man. I’m in love with a man. You.” Clay smiled at her, head half cocked to the side, tears in his eyes. 

“For the off chance it’s going to seem corny or as some sort of ancient tradition...” He paused, looking into her sweet, chocolate, puppy dog eyes. “Ani, will you be my girlfriend?” Clay nervously, but assuredly asked her. Ani’s mouth and eyes turned slowly to a bright grin. 

“I’d love to, Clay Jensen, and for the record, I’ll take traditional and corny any day.” Clay grinned, his arm reached for Ani’s. His hand squeezed delicately as he sweetly rubbed part of her bicep with his thumb. He leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead before motioning down to press a kiss to her plump lips. 

“I’ve considered myself your girlfriend for at least the past month, though I probably should I have told _ you _that.” Clay gives a slight chuckle. 

Clay took Ani’s hand again, getting Ani out of the car and into his arms for a hug before walking her to the door facing the driveway. 

“Good night, Ani. Nakupeda.” 

“Nakupenda pia.”

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this. I try to always think about how Clay would react, his growth in the story and his life. I want the best for Clay and right now he is in a messed up state. Maybe he will get the proper therapy and move on to a better relationship, but for now, Ani is his girlfriend. Head cannon, of course.


End file.
